What to change
Agree what blank or space-only searches should do, then ask your supplier to present that result consistently and offer an understandable next step.
A worked example
Illustrative example
An empty query leaves the search ready for entry with a short instruction, while a space-only query follows the same route rather than producing confusing results.
Why this matters to your practice
An empty search is an ordinary action, not necessarily an error. A visitor may press Search before typing or clear an old phrase and try again. Decide whether your website should show all items or invite them to enter a useful term. Ask your supplier to treat spaces alone consistently with that decision. The resulting message should explain the next step in familiar words and avoid suggesting that the website failed because no meaningful query was supplied.
A practical review example
A visitor may press Search before typing, or clear an old query and accidentally leave a few spaces. Ask your supplier to demonstrate both cases. If the agreed behaviour is to show all items, the heading should explain that result; if a term is needed, the prompt should help them enter one. Compare the clear-search control as well. The different routes to an empty query should not leave contradictory old suggestions, unexplained errors or a blank page that appears broken.
How to check the result
Accept when blank input has a deliberate outcome, remains easy to correct and behaves consistently across the site's search interfaces.
A mistake to avoid
Silently trimming spaces is useful only if the resulting empty query is itself handled in an understandable way.
Turn reading into a next step
Your action checklist
Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.
Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.
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Further reading
These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.
Related guides
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